The Scottish General Election is on Thursday 5th May. Don’t worry if you didn’t realise this, it is news to most people. On that same day, the UK will probably get the chance to vote on whether to move to the Alternative Vote system for electing MPs to Westminster instead of the current First Past The Post.

What does this have to do with you? Well, if you are over 18 on that date and are any of the following, you can cast your judgement in both plebiscites.

• British Subjects• From a Commonwealth Country• Republic Of Ireland Citizens

However, if you are a citizen of another European Union country, you can only vote in the Scottish Parliament election. To make life easier for you, you can even vote from home. Wow, how easy is that?

For more information on how to vote, go to the Lothian Valuation Joint Board’s website, http://www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk/downloads.html.I’m happy to provide more information on the Scottish General Election, devolution and the like, so just ask. If you want to know more about the proposed change to the Westminster voting system, got to the Yes to Fairer Votes website, http://www.yestofairervotes.org.

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Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. (Oscar Wilde)

Did you know that Scotland elects 129 MSPs? Of these, 73 are elected to represent constituency through First Past the Post. The remaining 56 MSPs are elected by an Additional Members System to represent the eight parliamentary regions, seven for each one.

The Lothians region has nine constituencies. That means you could effect the result for at least have eight politicians who make decisions over your life. That's worth registering and voting on Thursday 5th May. Isn't it? http://www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk/downloads.html

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Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. (Oscar Wilde)

I couldn't agree with you more Shannon, STV for the Commons is my preferred choice. Having said that, I'd rather have AV than FPTP. A step forward is still a step forward, even if it is a timid one.

Thehemulen, to me an anarchist is somebody who wants a social system based on voluntary co-operation above everything else. Doesn't that sound like the Forest? Also, there are also different types and degrees of anarchism. I would say that I am on the libertarian end.

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Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. (Oscar Wilde)

Are multi-seat constituencies really feasible everywhere in the UK -- if a desired outcome is to ensure MPs are really linked (and responsive!) to a geographical constituency? My electoral geekery stems from Canuckistan days and with the way population is spread out there, the district size needed in many places wouldn't allow a real connection between geographical place and the representative.

Apologies, yes multi-winner STV if the best. I don't see why multi-seat constituencies are not feasible throughout the UK. If you use the regions concept that Holyrood has, why not? OK, that's AMS but I see no reason why you can't combine a multi-member areas. You could use old county boundaries perhaps.

The 2007 Scottish local elections were a success, apart from the bloody counting machines, so I don't see why the rest of the UK couldn't adapt. Ambitious yes, but if you don't aim for something you'll never achieve.

Remember Shannon, as a Canuck you are eligible to vote in the Scottish General Election & the Referendum. Subtle, aren't I?

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Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. (Oscar Wilde)

Hi guys, you want to run a little pre-election workshop, this all is a bit alien to me and it should not be, but it's a sad state of affairs. There are a lot of foreign born + just busy people who might like to brush up on how the big machine here works, or could work - where's the crack in it for people power.I'd be the first so sign in.

www.irishtimes.com People voting in Ireland today. The following is an extract from an article yesterday's paper

"But it is far more accurately reflective of popular feeling than the British first-past-the-post system. Not least among its virtues is the vital sense of ownership of TDs by voters that arises from the reality that most voters will actually see their first preference candidate elected.

In the 2007 Scottish STV local elections, for example, 74 per cent of voters elected their first-choice candidate; while in 2005, not untypically, two-thirds of MPs returned to Westminster did not have majority support from local voters."

I'll be glued to count and results all day tomorrow hoping for a fresh start - genuine - in my country.

Happy to run a pre-election workshop if there are enough people to attend. What sort of things would people want? I can give a quick tour on how we got to the reconvened Parly, what powers are devolved, how Holyrood works, et cetera. Is a demand though? If it is just a few folk happy to spend an afternoon discussing it over a decent pot of tea.

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Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. (Oscar Wilde)